When do babies get easier? You are woken up for the third time tonight. Glassy eyed, you feel dizzy as you help your sweet little newborn with their cries. They sleep only for an hour or so at a time and you just can’t get any sleep. Not to mention, you are exhausted, the house is a mess and everyone is asking when they can come and see your baby. When does this whole process of being a parent to a baby get easier? You have seen parents with babies take walks, shop and even go into restaurants. When will it be your turn and what is going on?
Do not worry, we will break down what is happening and generally when you can expect for parenthood to get a lot easier.
Why Are Babies So Hard?
It can be difficult for a new parent to get used to a newborn’s schedule. What is difficult for parents are two things about newborns. Firstly, it is a newborn’s sleep schedule. Newborns wake up and need to be fed or changed once every two hours or so. Secondly, they cry, sometimes a lot. Parents can struggle with the lack of sleep and feeling like they are not meeting their babies needs. This can upset many parents.
Parents want to be the perfect caregiver for their child. They want to meet their child’s needs immediately. Parents do not want to see their newborns suffer in anyway. Babies cry because they want to be held, changed, fed or they feel gassy. The gassy cries can be so painful for baby and parents can feel quite helpless.
We all need hours of uninterrupted sleep a day. However, a newborn is not on the same sleep schedule as you. Though the old saying goes, ” sleep when your baby sleeps.” This can be difficult for many parents who have to work, eat, clean and run errands.
When Does Raising Babies Get Easier?
Babies are a bundle of joy but it can be challenging. Depending on the child, babies will not sleep for more than an hour for months. While other babies begin to sleep longer hours the older they get. As babies continue to develop, it is easier for them to soothe themselves, communicate needs and sleep for longer periods of time. Generally, at three months of age, having a baby becomes easier. This can vary depending if the child has special needs, illness, or just may need a little longer to get used to the families schedule.
Are Babies Easier At 3 Months
Generally, yes! Parents get used to not having as much sleep and babies start to sleep longer. Somehow, families tend to meet in the middle. Sometimes, this is not the case, but in general, at three months, you little one can sleep longer and be a little more independent. If your baby is not at a point where they are sleeping more, do not worry! Your little one is quite young. Speak to your doctor about all of the milestones and make sure to keep a journal.
Are Babies Easier After A Year
The hard stuff like lack of sleep and complete dependence becomes lessened, but it is almost traded for your child wanting to walk. at one year, you are happy that your child is more expressive in communicating their needs, either from one word answers, baby talk, pointing or sign language. Alternatively, your baby has the desire to crawl or walk and they are getting into everything! Yes, your nights are generally more quiet and you can sleep and have energy for the next day. Alternatively, you will be running around a lot more and that can be tiring also! However, you are used to the longer days and understand your baby so much more so it is generally easier for most parents after your child is a year old.
Some parents claim that they start to see a positive change with they newborns begin at the two month phase and get it gets progressively better from there. We attribute that to parents getting used to having a baby and the baby becoming more aware and finding other ways to communicate, be comfortable and understand each situation. Parenting is a team effort between parent and baby!
When Do Babies Get Easier to Put To Sleep
Generally, it becomes easier to put babies to sleep after three months old. As your child gets older, they get used to the surroundings, noises and sounds of their home. Alternatively, they are also growing so their stomachs can hold more food. They do not wake up as hungry as they used to and therefore can sleep longer and get settled to go to sleep easier.
For some parents and babies, they experience months of decent sleep and months of babies struggling to get to sleep. We have to some top tips to put your child to sleep and get them to stay asleep that has been quite helpful.
Top Tips For Surviving Those First Few Months
It can be a challenge when you want this parenting thing to get easier and you just cannot keep up. Here are some top tips and expectations for those who are starting this parenting journey with a newborn. Firstly, it is important to do an assessment on what kind of help you can have.
Do I Have A Community That Can Help?
If you have friends, family and a great community that can help you in these first few months, be sure to call on them. If htey can do something as simple as hold the baby while you take a shower, that can make you feel a lot better. Alternatively, someone who can help you food prep so you are getting proper meals or help you tidy up your home is so helpful. A little help goes a long way and a good parent asks for help when they need it!
If you do not have help, then you should not fret, you must practice forgiveness and give yourself credit.. You are taking on a major role of new parent. Most likely, you are a student or working and you are trying to balance it all. Take your time and make sure you are meeting your and the babies needs. It’s okay if you did not finish the laundry or you ordered out one night. As long as you are taking good care of yourself and your baby, everything else will fall into place in time. Forgive yourself, you are taking on a tough task and you need to give yourself credit for that. It is not easy but you are making it happen!
Know That The Babies Sleep Pattern Can Change
Whether it is over time or quite suddenly, a babies sleep pattern can change. This is not always a negative thing! As your baby ages or gets used to their routine, they settle down a bit more and can sleep for longer periods of time as they get older. Secondly, you start meeting your babies needs faster as you begin to understand which cry means what. Pay close attention to signals that your baby is hungry or has a dirty diaper. Understanding the pitches of each cry or how your child reacts will save you the time so you can meet their needs.
Practice Self Care
Most magazines will tell you to “sleep when the baby sleeps” or just get help from friends or family. That is great and encouraged for those who have that access but it is not reality for everyone. Some people do not have the time to take a little vacation or even a five minute break alone. If you are one of those people, you will practice self-care in one of the easiest ways possible, by being kind to yourself. From now on, you will be your biggest cheerleader and make sure you are encouraging yourself. If you took five minutes to take a shower, that is a win, not something to feel guilty about. You do what is best for you and your baby.
A second way for everyone to practice self care is to make sure your community is supportive of you as a parent. If you have negativity or toxic behavior around you, it is important for you to make good decisions and get rid of any negative people that can impact your new parenting journey.
If you do have a community, do not shy away for asking a for an hour or so to sleep, eat something, take a shower or run errands. It is okay to take some time for yourself. Similarly, if you are needing someone to help you out, express your needs clearly and what you need and for approximately how much time. People will then be able to assess if they an help and for how long. As long as expectations are clear, it minimizes challenges in the future.
Healing From Childbirth
Child birth is not a walk in the park! Every birth is different. You may have had a C Section or a traumatic birth. Your healing matters and body literacy matters. Taking time to relax and rest means that you will sometimes give yourself grace for not washing the dishes quickly, sweeping or cleaning up. If you need to heal, take your time as much as you can. Giving your body time to heal can minimize complications down the road.
Do Babies Get Easier? ABSOLUTELY
Babies are wonderful and it is wonderful when you become a parent. However, the sleepless nights and functioning with minimal sleep can be very difficult. Luckily, for most families, it does get better when your baby is around three to four months old. If you notice that there is no improvement by the fifth month, keep a journal of your concerns and talk to your doctor about it. Do babies get easier? Absolutely, Parents also learn to adjust to the new lifestyle of having a baby!
